By Sebastian Langdon
From the ring of the trip bell to the buzz of an office building, few have made the transition with as much impact, and punch, as Gordi Kirkbank-Ellis.
Once a fierce amateur boxer as well as hitting hard in karate and rugby, Gordi has a reputation for toughness. Now he channels that same intensity into transforming corporate teams to build a healthy, and energetic, working environment.
But this is no run-of-the-mill fitness trainer. With every jab, weave, and session, he brings his battle-hardened style to the forefront of the corporate world.
His story isn’t just about sweat or strategy, it’s about resilience, redemption, and the power of shared struggle to forge stronger team connection in the office.
Gordi’s journey into boxing was sparked not by ambition, but by anger.
“I was living in Potts Point and one night a couple of guys tried to rob me,” Kirkbank-Ellis recalled. “Luckily, I sorted that out, but it made me very angry.”
The next day, fate stepped in.
“I saw some guys walking into a boxing gym and made friends with boxer Justann Crawford.”
Justann Crawford is an indigenous Australian boxer with an outstanding career. He has nine international gold medals and represented Australia at the 1992 and 1996 Olympic Games and 1994 Commonwealth Games.
He also held nine Australian boxing titles, mainly in the middleweight division or the light heavyweight division.
Achievements that put him in the Aboriginal and Islander Sports Hall of Fame.
Gordi’s friendship with Justann influenced a new chapter of his life. What started as an outlet quickly became a discipline and a deep passion.
“Justann convinced me to fight amateurs. Said it’s more fun than pros.”
Kirkbank-Ellis trained relentlessly, eventually representing Australia at an amateur level.
“As a boxer, when you step into that ring, if you’re not s****ing your pants the first time, there’s something wrong. There’s only you and them. No lifelines. That’s where discipline comes from.”
But boxing, like any contact sport, eventually has an expiry date. He fought into his late 30s, skirting around amateur rules until reality finally caught up.
“I was on a trip with the Australian team in Vanuatu. We had to hand our passports in to our coaches and a guy read my mine, saw I was 38, and called me out.”
That was his final bout.
“By that time, I was turning up to fights unprepared. I knew I was done.”
The shift into a tame civilian life wasn’t easy.
“I was doing bricklaying with my coach. I hated it.”
Bored and restless, he enrolled for a fitness license. Nine months later Kirkbank-Ellis had a qualification, and a new beginning. He didn’t realise what an art it is to box until he started coaching it, he now has been coaching for more than 20 years.
But the journey into the corporate world was part grit, part luck.
It began with one phone call from none other than my own father.
“Your father called me up one day and said he was looking for a corporate trainer. His group was my first.”
Gordi’s pitch was just as blunt as his right hook: “I said, you should hire me cause I’m going to kick your ass. I’ll get you fit, it’ll change morale in the office, but I won’t be nice. And your dad said: ‘He’s the guy’.”
From there, word spread quickly. Kirkbank-Ellis wasn’t just running fitness classes; he was building something much deeper. His sessions mixed intensity with humour, aggression with connection.
“Everything I do to myself; I do to everyone else. People need to harden up. When you suffer, it builds character.”
But Gordi’s transformation didn’t come without its own set of challenges. Moving from an individual, high-stakes sport like boxing into the emotional complex environment of corporate team training required more than physical strength. Some of these people have never even been to a gym before, so he leaned into entertainment, using laughter to keep people engaged.
“It’s a show. I try to be the funniest guy I know. I’m a boofhead, but people love it. And I get away with it.”
More than just sweat and soreness, Kirkbank-Ellis’s method is rooted in psychology. He tears people down just the right amount to gradually build them back better, stronger, and happier.
“You coach people to feel confident. And when they get soft, you barrage them, in a nice way of course.”
He recalls one team that transformed entirely under his watch.
“One guy would go hard but hit the wall quick. I ripped into him. Suddenly, no one wanted to be that guy. The whole crew lifted. Back at work, they’d talk about how sore they were, how fun it was.”
According to a 2021 Forbes article, corporate group training enhances workplace morale, communication, and trust, just as Gordi’s programs do.
“It’s never the same session with me, if you do the same schedule every time slowly people will stop coming and move on.” He grinned. “The only thing that stays the same is the jokes.”
The Mental Health Commission of NSW also backs this, linking physical activity to improved mental health outcomes and workplace cohesion.
Gordi’s approach taps into these benefits.
“I see the change all the time,” he said. “People go home healthier, with lower blood pressure, more energy for their family.”
Reflecting on Gordi’s impact, my father noted: “His sessions strike the perfect balance between enjoyment and discipline, making training something the whole team looks forward to.”
Kirkbank-Ellis accurately reads a connection between how people train and how they work in the office, an effective tool that helped my father understand his team on a new level.
“Gordi’s personal touch, including weekly follow-up calls to each participant, is different and deepens engagement and shows his genuine care for each individual’s progress.”
These sessions have resulted in a stronger, more connected, and more motivated team that carries this energy and cohesion into the rest of the team’s work day.
Beyond just team fitness, Kirkbank-Ellis’s work touches something deeper. His classes create a sense of shared suffering, camaraderie, and transformation, principles long documented by wellness researchers.
As noted by the Mental Health Commission of NSW: “Improving physical health directly improves mental wellbeing.”
And in group-based activities this effect breeds and amplifies. For many, Gordi’s sessions aren’t just exercise, they’re a journey, therapy.
And he sees it: “I get people to do stuff they can’t believe. Two to three months with me, bang, they’re fixed.”
Whether healing old injuries, reigniting self-belief, or simply reviving energy for family and friends, his approach leaves an ever-lasting mark.
Now well into his second round, Kirkbank-Ellis isn’t fighting for belts, he’s fighting for people. His ring may look different, but the mission is the same: to bring out the fighter in everyone.
“I like people,” he said simply. “I want them to be better. And I do that the only way I know how, by kicking their ass with a smile.”
Featured image: Gordi Kirkbank-Ellis (left) and winning the Police Boys NSW title. Photo: Supplied.